


Wait, Genies Exist?!

by MysteryGirl22



Category: Dress Up! Time Princess (Video Game), Time Princess
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Magic Lamp, Romance, The Western Wall, rework
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 23,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29457255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteryGirl22/pseuds/MysteryGirl22
Summary: Gina and Kahir Fatih have lived their whole lives on the road, and ancient secrets aren't the only things they've helped their parents uncover.
Relationships: Gina/Light (Dress Up! Time Princess)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

Gina Fatih glared helplessly at her surroundings. The small, dim room with walls coated in flaking, dirty white paint and a floor of worn gray stone blocks that looked like they had been there for centuries. Knowing the history that filled this area, they likely had been.

She was almost able to forget about the shackle locked tight around her ankle, the metal that was bitterly cold every morning now warmed to the temperature of her unwashed skin. How long had it been since she was able to bathe, and why did those people insist on keeping her trapped in such a cell? It wasn’t as though there was anywhere she could go, even if she did manage to break the chain fastening her to the floor beside her bed.

‘Bed’ was a generous term for it, she decided, given it was little more than an old pallet half-stuffed with straw and covered by an itchy threadbare blanket. The only pillow was a lump at the head of the pallet that she had to rearrange before she could sleep each night, at least when her exhaustion didn’t make her pass out the moment she fell upon it.

The only dream she had had was the memory of the day before all of this had begun, when she and her older brother had been digging carefully in the sand, sifting gently through the burning golden grains to try and uncover the most incredible treasures.

Their parents were a famous archeologist/anthropologist team, and she and Kahir had traveled with them all over the world. They had assisted with nearly every dig, seen collections stored beneath museums as their parents helped catalogue new finds. The three of them had decided she was old enough to excavate without supervision, and had set her up with the other students on their latest endeavor—a recently discovered valley deep in the Sahara, the supposed location of a kingdom long since lost to time.

Their corner square of the massive grid had been a goldmine of small trinkets. Old coins, tarnished sewing needles, shards of pottery, even gilded buttons and exquisite hair combs, some of which had been dotted with tiny pearls or pieces of amber and lapis. Only one item had really stood out to her, though, a small gold thing that looked almost like a tea infuser, that she had pocketed rather than pass it on to the people tasked with recording the day’s discoveries. Nobody had even noticed what she had done, or so she had thought until the next night.

She’d been playing with it on the loft bed she and Kahir had shared for years, rolling it around on the rumpled covers when he had popped up over the edge. She’d tucked the thing away before he’d had a chance to notice it, knowing he would have taken it to give to their parents, after lecturing her about letting her curiosity get the best of her.

She was sure it was the only reason he hadn’t been snatched along with her.

The men had come out of nowhere as she and Kahir had been cleaning up after dinner. He had just brought the dishes inside when a heavy hand had gripped her shoulder, another clamping across her mouth before she’d had the chance to gasp in shock, much less let out a scream. The sting of a knife against her throat had kept her from fighting, and she’d been bound and gagged before being thrown in the back of a pitch black van.

All the windows except the front had been painted over, obscuring her view and ensuring that nobody would find her so easily. What felt like days later, but couldn’t have been more than an hour or two, they’d tossed her in this very room and cut away the ropes that had scratched her raw, only to lock her ankle to the floor. The heavy chain was just over a foot long, each link as thick as her fingers.

Men always came for her not long before sunset, sometimes tying a leather cord around her neck before leading her down a series of halls, all as bleak and plain as her tiny cell. She’d be forced to sit at a table with so many girls and boys, all around her age, filthy and dressed in the rags their clothes when abducted had become. It amazed her that they were fed as well as they were, when all of their other basic needs were barely met, if not ignored.

It was always the same fare—plain oatmeal, overcooked turkey bacon, bland cornbread muffins. The water was always lukewarm, but at least it was clean. Once the meal was done, they were piled into the vans, each with two masked men who shot them piercing looks at any noise, their fingers always near the long knives sheathed at their belts. They never used guns, for fear of being caught.

Each time, a different captive wore the cord, the small trinket glinting faintly around their neck with each jostle of the van.

They always stopped far in the desert, sloping sand dunes painted dark pearl by the moonlight, at least when there was a moon. The one wearing the makeshift necklace was shoved to the front of the group, whispered instructions in harsh tones no one else could quite hear, and then they would all fan out, searching for none of them knew what.

Gina shielded her eyes from the glare of a flashlight when her door creaked open, a small tinkling sound telling her it was once again her turn to wear the trinket. One of the men said something, another laughing when the third’s eyes narrowed dangerously. She’d given up trying to fight them, her whole body crisscrossed with the scars that had resulted from every past attempt at escape. She was sure the next one would be her throat, no matter how many of these men seemed to think she was important. She could understand them well enough to pick up on that.

She ate her meal in silence as was expected, looking up through the ragged, tangled locks of her greasy hair at her fellow captives, all intently focused on their own loaded trays. It was much better than facing the weapons that were always trained on them, the fact any of them could easily die where they sat. Once done, they were piled into the vans, huddled together on the floor with nothing but each other to help soften the jolts and bumps of the drive.

It was another new section of the desert tonight. The dunes were smaller, shaped like crescents, rather than domes. Gina was forced into place, nose blind to the breath that smelled like onions and rotting fish cascading across her face as the man hissed something in her ear. The only English she was sure any of them knew.

“Listen to the key, you’ll know when you find it.”

Whatever the hell that was supposed to mean. She bit her tongue to keep from making some pithy remark, and instead tried to figure out what this key might be. There was no use asking what they were supposed to be stumbling around half-blindly for, it was blatantly clear none of them really had a choice. It was either search, or be beaten and left to die, if they just weren’t outright killed. She tried hard not to think about how many families were holding out hope for a lost cause.

Her blood ran cold when the wind began to howl, waves of sand spilling down the dunes and swept up in the tempest, stinging her like every manner of insect. She clinched her eyes shut, turned her back to the worst of it, choking on a terrified gasp when she could move no further. Her heart pounded in her head as a new sound bled into the wind, what could only be described as layers of echoes from anguish-filled screams. Sure she was about to be buried alive, she reached for the trinket at her neck, determined to rip it off and throw it as far as she could. Whatever these men were after, she’d make sure it didn’t come to them easily.

It felt like touching a hot stove. She fought past the pain in her fingers, instead lifting the cord away from her skin. A nasty burn was the last thing she needed in this hostile landscape. Finally, the wind died away, the screams fading back into oblivion. She rubbed the grit from her eyes, her jaw dropping when she saw a passageway had opened at her feet, yellow sandstone steps leading what seemed to be infinitely down.

She glanced to all sides of her, seeing nobody. They’d likely all taken cover behind the far dunes, and it wouldn’t be long before their captors realized she was gone. She didn’t care what might come at the end of this tunnel, nothing could be worse than what she had already been through. Breathing deeply, she clutched the old tea diffuser, now cool as it had ever been, and moved as quickly as she dared into the gap.


	2. Chapter 2

The entrance closed above her as soon as she was fully underground, and Gina found herself releasing a long sigh of relief. There would be no chance of those insane men finding her now. She sat carefully on one of the cracked narrow steps to catch her breath, only for it to choke her again as torches seemed to materialize on the long, sloping walls, illuminating a tunnel covered in symbols like she had never quite seen. A combination of Egyptian, Sumerian and what looked like some form of Arabic.

Her legs trembled as she rose back to her feet. She climbed down carefully, sometimes running her fingers along the wall, for what seemed hours and seconds all at once, until she finally emerged in a large chamber. The ceiling was hardly a foot above her head, the floor long since worn smooth and scattered with sand. The text and pictures continued, covering the walls from top to bottom, the corners of the room stacked with pots, chests and small coffins, all of them pried open. The only item of any real note was an ancient-looking oil lamp coated in dust, covered in designs that seemed oddly familiar. It had been peeking out from behind a loose stone in the wall by the floor, likely why the grave robbers had missed it.

There was a small notch in the handle, as though some decoration had been fitted there. Gina set the lamp down and reached behind her head to untie the cord. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the trinket matched it perfectly. Was this really what those men had abducted them all for, to find this old thing? She rolled her eyes, tossed the cord aside and hooked the infuser, or whatever it was, into place. It looked more like a small metal tassel, now that she thought about it. The weight and tarnish told her both of them were made of real gold, though the purity of the metal was up in the air. That was the only reason they wanted it, she was sure, to sell it off to make a quick buck.

She turned it and saw a small divot, too regular to be an ordinary dent. Had something been set there once? She wiped off the dust to get a better look, nearly dropping the lamp when it heated and trembled in her hands. Pale violet blue smoke that seemed studded with diamonds filtered from the spout, and before her eyes, it took the shape of a boy, human and yet not. His elaborate silk clothes were from an era long past, influenced by the same mix of cultures as everything else in the tomb.

“I was starting to think I’d never get out of that stuffy lamp again,” he cried, then moaned happily as he stretched. The grin on his face faded as he looked around, the growing confusion in his eyes mixing with shock when he finally noticed her. “Wait, who _are_ you? How did you get here?”

She gaped at him until, finally, her brain came back online, then she shook her head.

“I-I should be asking _you_ that,” she stammered. “How the heck did you just come out of that lamp? What even _are_ you?”

His frown deepened and his brow furrowed.

“How dare you speak to me that way,” he snapped. “You should know that I’m the Great Genie of the Lamp!”

Gina could only croak faintly in response, then immediately began pinching herself. There was a faint woosh of air as his feet hit the floor, and she could feel his stare on her as she continued her task.

“May I ask what you are doing?”

His voice, deeper than his youthful appearance would suggest, was filled with carefully schooled arrogance, and more than a little disgust.

“I’m trying to wake myself up,” she commented, not looking at him. “I passed out in that sand storm, so this is all just a dream.”

“Ha!”

She saw him stride forward from the corner of her eye, and before she could blink, he snatched her wrist. Searing heat swept over her fingertips, though not for long enough to cause real damage. She tried to wrench her hand away, but he held her fast and tugged her to her feet; she noted absently they’d be just about the same height if she stood on her toes.

“I saw you flinch just now,” he told her. “Wouldn’t you be unable to feel pain if this were ‘all just a dream’?”

She scowled at his cocky smirk, and he released her this time when she yanked back from him.

“So you’re telling me your mind would be perfectly clear if the world as you know it just changed right before your eyes?”

He frowned again.

“My whole world _has_ changed, in case you didn’t notice. I never saw a woman dressed the way you are,” he continued. “And my lamp wasn’t in this place last time I returned to it.”

She winced, she hadn’t thought to look at it that way. She cast about for something to say, only for him to continue speaking.

“Where are we,” he questioned harshly. “What year is this?”

She shook her head.

“It’s 2020, Great Genie of the Lamp,” she quipped sarcastically. “This tomb’s somewhere in the…”

She trailed off, watching as he started to pace. He was talking quickly to himself, running his fingers through his messy black hair and tugging on it. He cracked his forehead on the wall, groaning as he buried his face in his hands. He’d gone deathly pale, his eyes brimming with a terror like she had never seen.

“I was in the lamp for…almost a thousand years? No. No, it can’t be!”

He abruptly started floating again, flitting to all sides of the room; she had to tuck herself into a ball in the stairway so he wouldn’t fly into her.

“How could this have happened,” he murmured, after scanning the texts. She wondered if he could actually comprehend any of it. “I have to get out of here!”

He stopped to stare at the lamp still lying in the middle of the floor, his face going pale again when he saw the divot in the upturned side.

“It’s gone…” he fell to his knees beside it, even as he hovered above the ground. “It’s gone!”

She blinked.

“So there was something set in there,” she came to his side and picked it up. “But who would take one small piece of something so valuable?”

He was silent a long while, then pulled in a breath; the panic that had clung to him fell away like a blanket.

“There was a gemstone set there,” he said. “I’ve lost so many memories since it was removed, and my powers are greatly limited.”

A shiver shot down her spine when he focused on her again; his blue topaz eyes seemed to stare straight to her soul. She shifted her gaze to the lamp, thoughts of the last few weeks, months, however long speeding on loop through her mind.

“What if…I promise to help you find that jewel,” she asked. “Would you be willing to do something for me in return?”

His stare changed then, becoming more reserved, almost suspicious.

“I should warn you now that there are three taboos connected to the lamp. Using its magic to kill, revive the dead, human or animal, or to alter memories will result in a curse,” his eyes narrowed, his full lips pressed in a firm line. “Your body will break, your soul will shatter, and you will be forced to wander the ether for eternity. If your wish involves any of this, I will not help you.”

She swallowed hard, then shook her head. She told him about finding the ornament, how she and so many other kids had been abducted, forced to search for what she now knew was the magic lamp.

“I want the men responsible for it all to pay for their crimes,” she concluded. “To be thrown in prison for the rest of their lives. Can you do that?”

He looked unsure for a moment, then nodded.

“It may take some time, but I can certainly do such a thing. However,” he lowered himself close to the floor, nearly touching it. His handsome face was inches from hers, his breath gentle and warm as it wafted across her cheeks. It felt oddly nice, and she hoped he’d mistake the blush she felt for nerves. “There’s something I need from you first.”

He reached out and tapped her forehead; his skin felt odd, like the aftermath of a fizzy drink, and colder than a human’s. She breathed sharply at a small zap, and he pulled his finger away, wearing a small, triumphant smile.

“Seeing your home for myself was easier than trying to explain it to me, we shouldn’t waste time here.”

She turned to the passage she had walked down, the guards she knew must be searching for her by now.

“You can’t take me straight there,” she cautioned him. “I’d never be able to explain how I got back. You’ll have to take me to the embassy. My uncle’s a dignitary, so they’ll recognize me.”

She picked up the lamp and examined it carefully.

“I can’t let anyone know about this, either. The police will take it as evidence in the case of my disappearance, and my parents will want to send it to a museum after. Is there any way you could make it undetectable?”

He looked like he hadn’t understood half of what she’d just said, but then her question seemed to register with him.

“The most I could do is transport the lamp to your room once we got close, but that wouldn’t guarantee that no one would find it. You’d just have to get there quickly.”

She nodded.

“You just have to get us near the embassy, I can take care of the rest.”

She held out a hand, unable to surpress a smile at his hesitance to take it.

“So it’s a deal!”


	3. Chapter 3

He could scarcely float when they appeared in a narrow alley a few blocks north of the embassy. He leaned heavily against the wall across from her, panting, though it didn’t take him too long to catch his breath.

“That took more power than I thought,” he commented quietly, his voice nearly lost amongst the bustle of the city. Gina wondered if he was making an effort not to look out at the street, full of fast, loud, shining machines people from his time couldn’t have even dreamed of. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him, but figured she wouldn’t get many answers with the state he was in, and there was something else more important to worry about. Somebody would notice her hunched over the lamp wrapped tightly in her arms sooner or later, and would naturally assume she had stolen it, given her state of dress.

“Do you have enough power to at least conjure a bag for this,” she asked, shifting her grip slightly. The alley was a dead end, and they were fairly far from the mouth of it, but she wanted to be as careful as possible.“And make sure it isn’t too fancy, that would just attract attention we don’t need.”

He looked at her through thick black eyelashes and flashed a tired smile. A snap of his fingers, and a plain sack laid in a heap between them, just big enough to hold the lamp. He stared at it a long while, then sighed in resignation.

“I didn’t want to go back in there so soon,” he admitted. “But I don’t have enough energy to assume human form, or even for an invisibility spell.”

She winced, and her stomach sank when she remembered another obstacle they’d have to contend with.

“I forgot about the metal detectors at all the exterior doors of the embassy, I’d never be able to sneak the lamp through them!”

She looked down at it, then unhooked the ornament from the handle, holding it with her teeth as she tucked the lamp into the bag, leaving the spout uncovered.

“They should think this was all that set off the alarm when we get inside,” she continued. “They’ll set me up in a room after I explain what happened to me, then we should have plenty of time to talk until my parents show up.”

She had no idea how they would talk, or where she could possibly hide the lamp once she was back in her family’s camper, but one problem at a time.

“Hopefully, you’re recovered by tonight,” she turned the spout toward him. “I don’t want your magic going haywire because you’re too tired to think straight.”

He scowled at her, then rolled his eyes and dissolved into that blue violet smoke; she watched with some awe as it disappeared inside the lamp. She closed up the bag, swallowing hard before she started out toward the street. There were only six blocks between her and safety, but it might as well have been a hundred miles.

_Well, here goes nothing._

* * *

Gina was still amazed at her luck for the day. She’d barely covered half the distance to the embassy when a familiar car had pulled up beside her. The door had been thrown open, and she’d been wrapped tightly in her uncle’s arms, sobbing into his shirt with relief and the fear she’d pushed down for so long. She’d learned that she’d been gone for six weeks, that Kahir and their parents had stayed in Libya all that time, searching everywhere they could think of for her. He’d called them as soon as she had finished telling him what had happened to her, minus finding a certain lamp.

As she had thought, she’d been set up in her usual room in his mansion after relaying the story to the authorities. Two of her uncle’s best guards had been posted in the hall, with security cameras focused on her small balcony and even the tiny ventilation window high in the wall of her adjoined bathroom. She was sure the genie had cast an extra spell on the bag he had conjured up, as nobody had noticed her carrying it, or that she’d refused to put it down until making sure every window and door in her suite was securely locked.

She’d taken a long shower, pampering herself every way she knew how, and changed into the comfiest pajamas she kept there, throwing out the clothes she’d worn for so long. She’d crawled into bed and had quickly passed out, not waking up until almost midnight.

Now she kicked off the blankets and went across to a white cabinet with stained glass panes in the doors, where she had stashed the lamp behind a row of books. She hooked the ornament back into place, then hesitated, thinking she should just let him rest until morning. He really had looked so exhausted in that alleyway. But the safety of so many people was at stake with those men still at large, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to evade them forever. They’d need all the time they could get to find that gemstone, and she couldn’t do it without him.

“You don’t have to be so rough with it,” he said when he appeared in front of her. He did look well-rested, also that he’d rather still be asleep. “Why _are_ you up so late?”

“I was asleep all day and half of the night,” she told him. “I’m wide awake right now, and I don’t want to think about everything that’s happened unless I absolutely have to.”

He crossed his arms and cocked a brow.

“So you expect me to entertain you,” he said. “After I already saved your life?”

She snorted, then shook her head.

“I want to know if you can remember anything about the gemstone. The divot in the lamp gives us some idea, but it would be better if we had a color or something, too.”

He closed his eyes, tapping his forehead with two fingers as his brow furrowed in deep thought. Finally, he let out a breath that was half sigh, half yawn.

“All I remember is the feeling of most of my power being ripped away, I didn’t even realize my memory had been affected until I couldn’t recall my own name.”

Her jaw dropped. Losing herself like that had always been her greatest fear. She only hoped the process had been quick for him.

“I have to call you something besides ‘Great Genie of the Lamp’,” she started. “People will think I’m crazy if they hear me saying that!”

He snickered, and it didn’t surprise her that he found the idea funny. She rolled her eyes, then set about trying to think of something.

 _He’s wearing a lot of blue,_ she thought. _And his eyes are blue, so maybe—_

“You are _not_ calling me ‘Blue’,” he quipped irritably. “Unless you want me to go around calling _you_ by _your_ favorite color all the time.”

She gaped at him, and he laughed again.

“What, you really thought I couldn’t see what you were thinking? Silly girl,” he floated up to her, so his nose was only inches from hers. “That’s one of the basic powers of the lamp, I can see into the mind of anyone I choose.”

She backed away from him and sat down on her bed. He followed, but now kept his distance.

“Is that how you’re able to understand me? English didn’t really exist a thousand years ago.”

He nodded.

“I become fluent in the language of whoever rubs the lamp,” he explained. “Having a genie around would be pointless if we couldn’t communicate.”

He shifted his posture so he was sitting in midair, his foot resting on his knee. She couldn’t tell if he was staying out of her head as she tried to think of another name, but he didn’t comment on any of the others she considered, then discarded.

“Well, what about ‘Light’?”

He looked confused.

“That doesn’t seem like a name you’d have in this era,” he said. It surprised her that he’d care about something like that. “Are you sure it wouldn’t attract attention?”

She shook her head.

“It’s unusual, sure, but it’s nothing like what some people name their kids,” she made a disgusted noise. “And I can’t really think of anything else that would suit you.”

He struck that thoughtful pose of his again, he did look oddly adorable when he was so focused.

“All right, I’ll accept it,” he smiled at her. “Call me Light until we find the gemstone, then I’ll decide which name I prefer.”

She wondered if he noticed how arrogant he sounded, or if it had always been his default way of speaking. She realized that he was looking at her expectantly, feeling herself blush when she realized what he must be waiting for.

“Oh, my name’s Gina,” she said hurriedly. “Gina Fatih.”

She reached for the framed picture on her nightstand, from her brother’s high school graduation.

“That’s my older brother, Kahir,” she explained, pointing at each of them in turn. “That’s our mom, Scheherazade, our dad, Tariq, Uncle Sinbad and Aunt Samar, then Granny Fatimah.”

Light hovered over the picture, his brow furrowed.

“What about that man beside your uncle, the one with the forced smile?”

Gina felt her lip curl.

“That’s Chapur, our cousin,” she offered. “Uncle Sinbad and Aunt Samar adopted him after his parents died.”

His eyes narrowed further.

“He’s creepy. We won’t run into him too often, I hope.”

She shook her head again.

“No, thankfully, he’s going to school in England, and he only comes home when he has to.”

He floated higher, reclining with his hands behind his head.

“Now that we have the important stuff settled, is there anything else you wish to ask me, or can I go back to sleep?”

She hid a giggle when he yawned, deciding she had kept him awake long enough.

“Yeah, you can. I’ll find something else to keep me occupied.”

He gave her a peeved look, then reverted to smoke and disappeared back into the lamp. She sighed and fell back on her bed, staring up at the elaborate forest mural on the ceiling. Aunt Samar was an artist, and had painted every inch of the house that she could.

 _I should look into that gemstone more,_ Gina thought to herself, as the vibrant forest and myriad of animals began to swim before her eyes. It almost amazed her how exhausted she still was. _But there’s not going to be anything in history books about a magic lamp, so I wouldn’t even know where to start!_

She yawned and let herself nod off, her last conscious thoughts centered around the mystery surrounding Light the genie.


	4. Chapter 4

Gina’s room was empty when Light emerged late the next morning. He felt more rested than he had in a long time, likely because he could now come and go from the lamp as he pleased, and that his full memory and powers would soon be returned to him. He lowered himself to the floor and strode to a window, looking out over the street. The buildings were the tallest he had ever seen, the strange black road below filled with even stranger sights. Wagons and carriages with no horses that shone like jewels, men, women and children walking together, some of these groups with dogs attached to their wrists with colored cords. It was so oddly familiar that it made him uneasy.

“Oh, you’re awake!”

He jumped, turning to see Gina. She looked much better than the past day and night—her dark brown hair was shining and bouncy, her eyes shining like polished amber. She was dressed in a long red skirt and white top with loose sleeves, her hair held back from her face by a red scarf. Her small, dainty feet were bare, her steps all but silent as she walked toward him. He let himself float off the floor, hovering by the wall as she set a pile of paper on the desk. At least, he thought it was paper, given the pages bright and glossy like glazed tiles in sunlight.

“These are magazines, Light.”

She shuffled through the stack and held one up, showing a brown horse rearing, dark hooves pounding the air and black mane flying. Another showed a group of boys in odd, matching white attire, a third a man in a boat holding up a large silvery fish.

“I took them from around the house, they might help you understand this time faster than just me explaining it.”

He hovered over the desk, trying to keep out of sight of the window. It was unlikely anybody would see him from this height, but he couldn’t risk drawing unneeded attention.

“I could just look in your mind again, like I did in the tomb,” he reminded her. “That would be easiest.”

He hid a smirk at her shocked expression, knowing she had completely forgotten he could do such a thing. She set down the magazine and held her hair back from her forehead.

“If that’s what you’d rather do, then go ahead.”

He chuckled, then tapped her forehead, his own aching a little as all her knowledge of this world flowed into his brain. He was somewhat winded when he finished, and while there were still many things he didn’t fully understand, he was much more equipped to deal with this new time.

“I just didn’t think we should dally,” he said by way of apologizing. “We don’t know when those men will realize where you are.”

“If they ever do,” she countered. “And even then, I doubt they’d be able to get to me. My family won’t let me leave until they’re sure the threat’s taken care of.”

He stared at her again.

“You mean your own family would keep you prisoner?”

She shook her head.

“Of course not. I’ll just need a guard whenever I go out,” she clarified. “They wouldn’t literally lock me up.”

She frowned.

“It does make searching for that gem a little harder, though,” she continued. “I don’t know if we’ll actually be able to find anything about it online, and there’s only so many ways I can look for info without people asking questions.”

Light wondered if he’d ever really get used to this world, so familiar, yet so very different.

“There’s one other thing,” she added, somewhat haltingly. “Nobody dresses that way anymore, and people will start to notice if you wear the same thing all the time.”

He looked down at his clothes, and a feeling he was unfamiliar with began to creep into his mind: self-consciousness.

“I…suppose you’re right,” he agreed begrudgingly. “But what could I do about that? I can only maintain human form a few hours at a time, and physical clothes will just fall off when I revert.”

She smiled again and pulled another book from her stack, thicker than the others with no glossy cover.

“You could use your magic to change,” she suggested. “It wouldn’t take much, right?”

He crossed his arms and shrugged. There hasn’t been any point in trying such a thing while trapped in the lamp, when he’d had to reserve his power for whoever next summoned him. He doubted he would have been able to, anyway. She started to flip through the book, a clothing catalogue, according to the cover, and eventually pointed to a picture.

“I thought this would be a good look for you, at least to start with.”

He hovered closer, scrutinizing the image. The boy wearing the outfit looked somewhat like him, with loosely curling black hair and lightly tanned skin, though his eyes were dark brown, his nose thinner. The resemblance was likely what had drawn her to it.

He raised his hand, snapped his fingers, and instantly felt an uncomfortable draft.

“Oh, my God!”

* * *

Gina was surprised her head hadn’t burst into flames. She’d covered her eyes quickly, though not before she’d caught sight of Light in all his glory. It was the first time she’d seen a guy that way who wasn’t related to her, or young enough to still need help with the toilet. Still, though, it hadn’t been entirely unpleasant. She had no idea what genies might do to stay in shape, but he certainly did, and he’d at least had the decency to hide himself once he’d realized what had gone wrong.

“I’m going to shut the curtains,” she blocked her view of him with her hand as she got to her feet. “I’ll try not to look until you get this figured out!”

She took her time with them, wishing her face would cool down as her teeth started to dig painfully into her lower lip. She only hoped he wouldn’t try to sneak a peek at her dreams when they went to sleep tonight.

“Okay, I’ve got it now!”

She closed the last set of curtains before turning back to him, and her receding blush came rushing back. The hooded black vest was open like in the picture, the blue jeans snug around his thighs before flaring out over the tops of his navy and white canvas slip ons. The giant, jewel adorned bracers he’d worn had been replaced with simple sweatbands at his wrists. Aside from the two locks of hair done up with beads tossed over his shoulder, he looked like any other attractive guy she’d see on the street.

And she had him all to herself.

She blinked, then shook the thought away. He shuffled his feet, rubbing the back of his head uncomfortably.

“I feel foolish,” he said after a minute. “Are you sure I have to wear stuff like this?”

She strode up to him with more confidence then she felt, licking her lips as she showed him how to use the zipper on the vest.

“Nobody will start asking weird questions now,” she assured him, then stepped back and brushed some hair from her forehead. “Besides, you look really good.”

His hand fell to his side and the cocky smile came back to his face.

“I guess I could get use to it, then.”

They laughed, then it was his turn to blush as his stomach started to rumble. She stared at him.

“Are you…actually hungry?”

He scowled.

“It’s the first time I’ve been out of the lamp in a thousand years,” he reminded her. “Who wouldn’t be?”

She felt mortified, she hadn’t considered something like that.

“I didn’t know a genie even needed to eat.”

He sighed.

“Well, I don’t need food to survive,” he said. “But feeling hungry isn’t great.”

“Right,” she hurried to the door. “I’ll go get some stuff from the kitchen, then we can keep going through those. You can’t just look the part if you really want to blend in.”

She nodded toward the desk, then slipped into the hall, shutting the door behind her. She smiled at the guards before heading downstairs, thankful her aunt and uncle were busy that day. They hadn’t wanted to leave her alone so soon, as her uncle had put it, but she had convinced them she’d be fine with the staff and guards. She only hoped she’d have some parts of her plan to help Light ironed out before her parents and brother arrived. She couldn’t risk any of them finding out the truth about him.

She found one of her aunt’s serving trays in the kitchen and piled on a bit of everything—green and yellow apples, hard boiled eggs, the rest of the salami and Swiss cheese rolls from the night before. Last were some of the cinnamon buns the chef had made that afternoon, still warm and gooey with icing. She ignored the guards’ stares when she came back with it all, nodding appreciatively when one of them opened the door for her. Light was hovering upside down by her closet, still dressed as she’d left him, looking through the magazine with the horse on the cover.

“I thought it would focus on equestrian sports,” he slapped it shut and flipped over. “But they were barely mentioned!”

She set the tray on the bed and went to her nightstand, pouring two cups of water from the pitcher her aunt had left there the night before. It had always helped her fall asleep as a child, and she was sure she’d need that once the exhaustion from her ordeal was over with.

“I took horseback riding for a while as a kid,” she told him. “I know a great trail outside of town we could go to if you’re interested.”

She turned to see him staring at the tray in bewilderment, and she couldn’t hold back a giggle as she explained what the foods were. She took an apple and left the rest to him, half-expecting him to stuff his face like there was no tomorrow. Instead, he ate carefully, though he still managed to get icing on his face from the cinnamon rolls.

“It’s impossible to stay clean when you eat those,” she smirked. “We’ve all tried to.”

He rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, cleaning himself up in an instant.

“Thank you…for that,” it was clear he wasn’t used to saying such things. “But there’s something we should go over, before we start our search for the gemstone. It concerns the magic lamp itself.”


	5. Chapter 5

Light felt like he’d always taken joy from causing mischief, as long as nobody was seriously harmed. He waited impatiently as Gina unlocked the cabinet and took out the lamp, chuckling when she waved him away as he hovered over her shoulder.

“I know you haven’t had much space the last few centuries,” she snapped. “But that doesn’t mean you have to be right on top of me!”

He floated in front of her and crossed his arms.

“I just want to make sure I won’t have to repeat myself.”

She scoffed, but said nothing, watching him intently. He tapped the ornament hanging from the lamp’s handle.

“This already gives us a big advantage,” he started. “I can recover my power anywhere as long as you have it, whether you’ve brought the lamp itself with you or not.”

She examined it, then her eyes widened.

“That must be why those men made us wear it,” she gasped. “They thought the power in it would activate once we were close to the lamp!”

He nodded gravely.

“They weren’t entirely right, of course. The amulet had to be worn by someone who had an unselfish wish in their heart, and your only thought was to save everybody from that situation, not just yourself. They must have had some idea about that,” he continued. “Given that another of you wore it each time you were sent out to search.”

He felt his lips curl.

“It also serves another purpose, once connected to the lamp. Set it down and I’ll show you.”

She did so, tucking it back behind the books. They’d need another hiding place eventually, but such a thing could wait for now. He took her hands, marveling briefly at their warmth before reciting a low spell. He heard her gasp, felt her fingers tighten around his, and then the sunlight that had grown harsh was replaced with a gentle, inviting glow. He let her go and stepped back, yet stayed close enough to catch her. He watched as she gazed around in wonder, her eyes shimmering with reflections.

“Where are we?” her voice was soft awe. He smiled.

“This is the nearly completed magic lamp,” he offered. “That amulet you found allows this space to exist, and us within it. Without it, I’m reduced to smoke, trapped alone in a tiny prison.”

The chamber now was large enough to situate them both quite comfortably, festooned with silken pillows in many shapes and colors. The curving golden walls were studded with tiny jewels, hung with drapes in blue, violet and white. The carpet under their feet was soft, patterned with elaborate green spearheads, the edges hidden by the endless cushions. Small gold sconces sat high on the walls, burning with no smoke, and they would never go out.

“Nobody outside can hear us,” he finished, then pointed to a large decoration on the wall, identical to the one on the handle. “And whenever you wish to go back, you must simply touch that and recite the proper spell.”

Before she could ask what that spell was, or what he had spoken to transport them there, he reached out and tapped her forehead.

“That little trick goes both ways,” he told her. “Now the only way someone else could discover this little secret would be if you told them.”

She frowned.

“You really think I’d risk getting thrown in the nut house by telling anyone about this?” she sighed. “But at least now I’ll just have to worry about hiding the lamp itself, though I still don’t know what I’ll do if someone does manage to find it.”

He shrugged.

“You likely realized this, but I imbued that bag I conjured with magic. As long as the lamp is in it, nobody will notice that you have it.”

She nodded absently, and he realized she had stopped listening. She was staring about the room again, as though she had never seen such things before. After a while, she came over and suddenly grabbed his wrists, rubbing circles into the backs of his hands with her thumbs. His face flared, and he yanked them back from her.

“Sorry,” she didn’t sound apologetic in the slightest. “I just wanted to see if you felt any differently in here.”

He stared at her. She shrugged.

“Outside, you feel kind of…tingly when you touch me,” she explained. “But you feel like a normal person in here.”

He blinked, then shook his head.

“I’ll let you know when I’ve figured out how to respond to that, but I am unable to use my powers in here.”

To demonstrate, he jumped, landing with a quiet thud. She didn’t look nearly as shocked as he had thought she would.

“You have to come in here to replenish your magic, so it makes sense that you can’t use it. But, what will finding the gemstone do, besides restore your memory and powers?”

He smiled and straightened proudly.

“The lamp will become omniscient and omnipotent,” he declared. “Its power, and mine, will be virtually limitless.”

He was surprised when she looked scared, almost horrified.

“There are terrible people all over the world who would do anything to get their hands on that kind of power,” she said. “And they wouldn’t hesitate to break the taboos, no matter what it did to them!”

She stopped and pulled in a breath, like she was trying to force herself to calm down.

“I’d never be able to hide the lamp from people like that, much less protect it!”

He groaned, grabbed her wrist and tugged her close, holding her shoulders firmly as he gazed into her eyes.

“Get ahold of yourself, Gina,” he snapped. “Nothing like that will happen because none of those people know the lamp even exists, much less what it’s capable of. That’s not something we’ll ever have to worry about, understand?”

She breathed deeply again, then nodded.

“Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

He let her go, wishing he could do more to comfort her when she rubbed her arms. He couldn’t have grabbed her that hard, could he? It was another minute or two before she spoke again, back to the fierce, confident girl he was coming to know.

“My aunt has a small collection of loose gemstones, that’s as good a place to start searching as any,” she looked at him. “You should be able to sense if there’s any kind of magic in them, right?”

He rubbed the back of his head.

“It would depend on how much power I’d already used,” he admitted. “I can’t sense much of anything if I get exhausted enough, and with the state my magic is in now, I’d have to be close by.”

She nodded again.

“I can take care of that, you’d just have to tell me what you feel.”

She strode to the large amulet hanging on the wall.

“I should have a spare necklace chain somewhere,” she went on. “See if you can remember something that’ll lead us to the gemstone.”

She placed a hand on it, spoke the incantation and vanished. He stayed where he was, trying in vain to silence the turmoil in his head.

Why did it suddenly feel like he was making a terrible mistake?


	6. Chapter 6

Gina expected to see Light hovering somewhere when she returned to her room, having brought the tray and dirty dishes to the kitchen. Instead, it was uncomfortably silent as she started looking for the necklace chain. She settled for one she hadn’t taken from her jewelry box since she’d been thrown from her bike, breaking her arm and denting the setting for the jewel that hung from it. The gem itself was a rich blue tourmaline from her aunt’s collection, her gift for her sixteenth birthday. Nearly three years had passed since then, but she’d turned down every offer of hers and her uncle's to have it repaired, wanting the reminder to be careful with what she held dear. She was just relieved she hadn’t lost the gem.

“Light?”

She searched everywhere she could think of—the closet, her bathroom, even inside the lamp, but he was nowhere to be found. His magic couldn’t have already recovered enough to get him very far, and she was sure the house would be on high alert if a strange boy was caught roaming around. Had he turned himself invisible then? Could he even do that? Why would he leave and not tell her?

 _He barely knows me,_ she thought. _But did he think I wouldn’t worry if he just disappeared?_

The curtains across her balcony doors fluttered, and she realized there was one place left to check. She sighed in silent relief when she saw him, sitting on the thin, wrought-iron white railing, his back against the wall of the house, one foot idly swinging. He looked almost wistful, his eyes clouded, arm wrapped around his knee as he stared blankly across the garden.

“Light, don’t scare me like that,” she pulled the curtain aside and pushed the door open. “You can’t just disappear on me!”

She tried to scowl at him, but her anger fizzled out as she looked him over. His lips were tight, his fists clenched, even as the rest of his posture and expression stayed unreadable. He likely hadn’t even heard her.

“Light?”

She stepped closer, that odd feeling filling her hand when she touched his shoulder. It took a good shake to bring him back to reality, and she wondered what could have caught in his mind to bring him to that state so quickly.

“Sorry,” he muttered. He took a deep breath, held it, then let it out slowly. “I started wondering what could have happened to put the lamp in its current state, then I remembered everything and everyone I must have known back then are long gone. Guess I couldn’t get the idea out of my head.”

Gina’s heart ached for him. Being ripped away from your home was awful enough, but to be trapped as the world moved on for centuries, lying completely forgotten in an old tomb. It was too much for her to bear. She didn’t give herself time to think twice before throwing her arms around him, hugging him as tightly as she could.

“I’m so sorry, Light,” she said softly. “I know this world might never feel like home for you, but I’m going to do my best to get it there, I promise.”

He smiled sadly, smoothing a hand down the back of her head.

“Thank you, Gina.”

* * *

They spent every spare minute they had searching for any leads on the jewel, but as Gina had thought, there was nothing worth looking into further. Magic lamps were just stories to the world now, and none even mentioned them being adorned with such things, forget one being the main source of a lamp’s power. It was the day before her parents and brother were set to arrive when Gina decided it was time for a break. She closed the book she’d been reading with a tired snap, planted her elbows on her desk and dragged her hands through her hair.

“Maybe we can go for a walk or something,” she said, then looked to see Light dozing on the ceiling. He’d switched back to the clothes he’d been wearing when they’d met, though she had caught him glancing through that catalogue more than once over the last week. He hadn’t tried using his magic to change in front of her since the first incident, not that she would have entirely minded a second look at him.

Well, most of him.

She stood and stretched, pausing to gaze out the window. The day was sunny, bright and bound to be hot, given they were coming up on the height of summer. She glanced at Light again, hovering against the mural, his face the most relaxed she’d ever seen it. He’d need his power to maintain human form, so she let him sleep, tip-toeing to her closet and ducking inside. It wasn’t quite large enough to be considered a room in its own right, but she had needed to get a light installed so she could change without having to keep the door open.

She picked one of her favorite outfits—a purple knee-length skirt with a matching halter top and comfortable white sandals. She put up her hair in a high ponytail and grabbed the chain she’d picked for the amulet, stepped back in her room and stopped short. Light had woken up and changed while she was getting ready, and she couldn’t deny that she liked what she saw.

It was another outfit from the catalogue she’d left near the lamp for him—a tight blue shirt, fitted jeans and white and blue sneakers, though he still had the wristbands from last time. She wondered if it was a security blanket type of thing, or if he just liked how they looked. His eyes widened when he noticed her, then his lips curled in a charming smile.

“They say clothes make the man, don’t they? You could dazzle anyone with how you dress.”

Part of her hated how easy it was for him to make her blush, it made her feel like a little girl dealing with her first crush, but the rest of her was already looking forward to where things might go. He reclined in midair, hands behind his head.

“So what did you want to do,” he asked. “Or did we get changed for no reason?”

She went to the cabinet and brought out the lamp, frowning when she noticed just how tarnished it was.

“I was thinking we could go for a walk around the city,” she took the amulet from the handle and hung it on the chain. “It’ll get us out of this room for a while, and we might even find something out about the jewel!”

He looked skeptical, but said nothing. Instead, he shifted his gaze to her bedroom door.

“You’re the only one who can see me in this form,” he said. “Since you rubbed the lamp and summoned me, but that won’t be the case once I take human form. Won’t your guards out there wonder where I came from if I go out with you?”

She nodded.

“That’s why I’m bringing the amulet,” she clasped it around her neck. “I’ll tell them I’m meeting a friend somewhere, then find a place where I can summon you from it. They won’t know any better.”

It was one of many things she had thought about that morning while she’d waited for him to wake up. All she had to do was be careful, and nobody would catch on to her new little secret.

“I thought we’d start at the park,” she continued, watching as he lowered himself back toward the floor. “It’s a perfect day for it, and an easy way to start getting you used to this world.”


	7. Chapter 7

Gina kept in sight of the guards, still worried the men who had taken her would find her again, no matter how slim the chances might be. The big park was one of the most beautiful places in the city, filled with rolling hills, a field of wildflowers, crisscrossed all over with paved trails. Trees and shrubs had been strategically planted, offering shade and splashes of color in just the right spots. The picnic area was next to a large pond, ducks of all species floating on the clear blue water or picking food from the lush green grass.

She spotted the small building that held the restrooms, halfway between the scattered tables and the playground, now crowded with families. She ducked around the corner, sighing in relief when she saw the area around it was empty.

“The coast is clear, Light,” she whispered, rubbing the amulet with her thumb. Thin smoke trailed out of it, and then he appeared, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun overhead. He snapped his fingers, and a pair of sporty blue shades appeared on his face.

“You really are getting used to this time,” she laughed. He snorted.

“Lets just get back to your guards before they start looking for you,” he adjusted them a bit. “I don’t want them getting the wrong idea about me.”

She laughed again, then they went back into the guards’ line of sight. The older of the two, who’d been employed by her uncle as long as she could remember, frowned suspiciously when he saw Light, relaxing only slightly when she introduced him. Light stared defiantly back at him.

“I’m not going to try and get her pregnant, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he quipped, then the corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. “At least not in public.”

The other guard snickered into his fist, but quickly regained his composure. Gina gaped at the genie, unsure whether to laugh at the older man’s shocked expression, or berate Light for saying such a thing. Light snatched up her hand and pulled her toward one of the paths, the guards following close behind.

“Don’t give me that look,” he spoke low enough so their tail couldn’t hear. “That’s exactly what he was thinking!”

She frowned.

“That didn’t mean you had to say it,” she admonished him, even as she couldn’t quite keep the grin off her face. “Just don’t read minds too often, okay? People will start noticing if you always ‘guess’ what they’re thinking.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Fine, I’ll try not to make a habit of it,” he glanced over his shoulder. “But _he_ better not keep thinking I’m only trying to bed you.”

She groaned and shook her head, her cheeks heating when she saw her hand still clasped firmly in his. Her first thought was to pull away, surprised to find she didn’t want to. It felt oddly right, walking beside him like this, and from the content smile on his face when she curled her fingers around his, he felt the same way.

He stopped by a pink azalea shrub, carefully picked a single blossom and tucked the stem into her hair. His fingers trailed lightly down her cheek, his lips still in that contented curve as he looked warmly down at her. It was true she’d only known him a week at this point, but being with him like that already felt so natural, as if she had known him all her life.

“Are you feeling okay,” she asked breathily. “Or did you want to start heading back?”

His smile widened.

“I think I can handle a bit more.”

They turned back to the path and walked on, content to forget the tasks still ahead of them, at least for now.

* * *

Gina was dead to the world when her family arrived the next day. After returning home, she and Light had spent hours in the lamp, just talking. He’d brought up his observations about how much the city had changed, and she had explained anything he hadn’t fully understood. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but when she did wake up, she was back in her bed, still dressed in what she’d worn to the park. She wasn’t sure whether to be embarrassed that she’d passed out on him, or thankful that Light had been so considerate, with how exhausted he must have been after spending most of the day in human form.

She kicked away the covers and went to change, feeling herself blush as she passed the cabinet. Asking if he’d like to meet her family crossed her mind, but she dismissed the idea, at least for now. It would bring up too many questions she didn’t know how to answer, and she knew it would be safer for them to not know he existed. She’d wait until they either found the gemstone, or the men who had kidnapped her were arrested, whichever ended up happening first.

 _He’s probably still tired, anyway,_ she thought, her mind straying to the pile of hardcover books on her desk. She’d pulled them from the second shelf of her cabinet, folded the flower Light had given her in a napkin and set at the back of the bottom book. He’d never seen that method for drying plants, though he had wondered why she hadn’t just asked him to magically preserve it. He’d been wavering where he stood just while asking the question.

The pink dress had been a birthday gift from Kahir, and she thought it the perfect choice after being separated from them for so long. She nearly forgot to brush her hair in her excitement to see them, only realizing how crazy it looked when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She hadn’t thought it possible for hair to stick up in so many directions at once.

Her eyes filled with tears when she finally saw them, and she couldn’t hold back a sob that was half relief, half fear as she rushed into their arms.

“Oh, my sweet baby girl,” her mom peppered her face with kisses, something she hadn’t done in years. “I was so worried!”

“Thank God you’re safe, Gina,” her father added, hugging them both tightly. “I don’t know what we would have done if we’d lost you.”

They stood there a long while, until Gina realized Kahir was hovering nearby, fists clenched at his sides, looking insurmountably guilty. He swept her up like she was made of silk, nearly crushing her against his chest.

“I’m so sorry, Gina,” he whispered hoarsely, his voice choked with tears. “I shouldn’t have left you alone!”

She gazed at him, seeing the dark circles under his eyes, the haggard growth on his face. He had always taken such pride in his appearance.

“It’s okay, Kahir,” she assured him. “Those men would have hurt or killed anyone who tried to protect me from them. I spent the whole time I was there thinking how relieved I was that you were all safe.”

She started crying again, burying her face in his shoulder, and soon their parents joined the embrace. After a small eternity, he put her down, brushing his thumb across her wet cheek.

“I’ll never put you in that kind of danger again,” he vowed quietly. “I promise.”

He kissed her forehead. She hiccuped, then smiled. She really was one lucky girl.

* * *

Light was awake when she got back to her room, carrying another tray laden with food. Her uncle had requested all their favorites be made to celebrate a happy reunion, and she hadn’t thought to excuse herself until the moon had already started to rise. He was sitting against the cabinet with a book he looked to have been reading for hours.

“Was starting to think you’d forgotten about me,” he set it aside and got to his feet, stretching his arms over his head. His gaze was somewhat regretful. “I wish I could have brought them to you sooner.”

She smiled sadly, then shook her head.

“I don’t want you using more power than you need to,” she said. “Not until we find that jewel.”

She set the tray on her bed and sat heavily beside it.

“I might have found a possible lead on it,” she continued. “Uncle Sinbad told me about an exhibit that’s coming to the museum, artifacts from previously lost cultures. The tomb I found you in didn’t match any one ancient society, so maybe you’ll at least find one thing you recognize.”

She pulled a lock of hair over her shoulder and started stroking it thoughtfully.

“I know it’s a long shot, but it might be our best bet. And there’s something else…”

He sat on the other side of her, looking at her expectantly.

“What’s wrong?”

She bit her lip, then swallowed.

“My brother’s birthday is next month,” she explained. “I started thinking that I’d introduce you to my family then, if those men haven’t tracked me down by that point.”

She looked at him, unsure why she felt so apprehensive about bringing this up. His concerned face didn’t do much to calm her nerves, even when the fuzzy coolness of his hand covered hers.

“That’s not what’s really bothering you, is it?”

She appreciated the fact he didn’t just peek into her thoughts. Curling her fingers closer to his, she pulled in a breath and let it out slowly.

“It’s just…what if you don’t like what you find when you get your memories back?”

His gaze shifted to the floor, and he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

“You’re right, I may not like it,” he said, then focused on her again, his stare intense. “But even if my memories aren’t what I’d enjoy remembering, I’d at least know not to repeat mistakes I made in the past.”

His grip tightened on her hand, but he didn’t speak further. Instead, he reached up and tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. She surprised herself by leaning into his touch.

“I wouldn’t wish an existence like this on my worst enemy,” he finished. “I have to find out how I ended up in that tomb, and I believe I still owe you a wish.”

She started to smile, but it quickly faded.

“I’m hoping those men will be found before then, I don’t want anyone else they’ve kidnapped to suffer longer than they have to. And I already know what my new wish will be if that happens.”

He cocked a brow.

“And what might that be?”

She shook her head.

“You’ll just have to wait and see.”


	8. Chapter 8

“I think your brother’s been avoiding you,” Light observed bluntly. A wild storm had blown in, knocking down power lines, uprooting trees, all but flooding the streets as rain lashed at the windows in sheets and the wind howled in fury. Gina had retreated to the lamp at the first rolling crash of thunder, thankful to finally have a true respite from the noise that still scared her, as embarrassed as she was to admit. She’d been surprised to find out he had never cared much for it, either, relieved that at least he wouldn’t tease her about such a fear.

“What do you mean?”

She was lounging on a pile of silken pillows across from him, stretched out on his own like a god. In his fancy ancient garb, he certainly looked like one. He rolled his eyes, as though it were obvious.

“You’ve spent the last few days telling me how he always leaves the room when you walk in, no matter what he’s in the middle of,” he explained. “And that he keeps any conversation with you as short as possible. He still feels responsible for what happened to you, and he can’t let go of that guilt.”

She had chalked it up to him being busy with his studies, being on the verge of graduating from university, or invented any number of other reasons to explain his behavior. She chided herself for not realizing the pattern he had repeated many times before.

“I keep reassuring him that nothing’s his fault,” she argued. “And that I’m actually glad no one else was around when I was taken. I don’t want to think about what might have happened if he’d tried to protect me…”

She gulped, curling up and burying her face in a pillow. She heard him shift position, then his feet hit the floor, and she soon felt the weight of his hand on her shoulder.

“He needs to deal with this in his own way, Gina,” he said. “And it’s going to take more than a few days to do that, all you can do is be there for each other.”

She looked up at him, not realizing she’d started crying until he wiped a tear from her cheek. He took her hand, pulled her gently upright and into his arms. The cool silk of his shawl felt so nice against her burning cheeks, but not nearly as nice as the firm, comforting circle of his embrace. She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, only that she didn’t want to pull away when she finally did. She gazed at him, watching the firelight from the sconces flicker in his eyes, softly reflecting off the polished glass beads that bound his hair, and her heart skipped a beat when he brushed her cheek again. The small, tender smile on his face was enough to make her melt. She laid her head back on his chest with a contented sigh, and his arms tightened protectively around her.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you from danger,” he whispered, so softly she almost couldn’t hear. “I swear on my life.”

She gasped, wondering if he had meant to say such a thing out loud. From the look on his face when she peeked at him, that serious expression she so rarely saw, he had meant every word.

“Your family aren’t the only ones who care for you, Gina,” he continued, stroking her face once with the back of his hand. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, the feel of his lips lingering even after he pulled away, his ears flushed red.

* * *

The storm had already lasted a week, the city all but shut down due to damage and dangerous road conditions. Gina tried her best to split her time evenly between Light and Kahir, and while her brother had stopped actively avoiding her, he still only responded to her, never initiated conversations. She wondered if he would ever be able to forgive himself for what she had gone through, how long he’d go through life carrying blame that wasn’t his.

It hadn’t taken long to realize Light was getting restless. She’d woken up nearly every day to him pacing on the walls or ceiling, his fast, agitated steps utterly silent. He had started sleeping outside the lamp, conjuring up a luxurious pallet for himself at the foot of her bed. On the nights she couldn’t sleep due to thunder, she’d listen to his mutterings as he dreamt, and had glimpsed a tormented or furious look on his face more than once. Were those dreams fragments of his lost memories, or just images conjured up from the books he devoured like food? She’d just set a pile borrowed from her uncle’s library on her desk when the genie’s shadow fell over her, and she looked over her shoulder to see him fidgeting in agitation.

“This isn’t any better than being cooped up in the lamp,” he complained. “It’s driving me crazy!”

She sighed heavily, then turned to face him.

“I don’t like it any better than you do,” she said. “But we can’t exactly go anywhere with the weather like this!”

She nodded at the window, large drops of rain being thrown against it by the wind. Light lowered himself to the floor, keeping his arms crossed.

“I could take us anywhere you wanted to go,” he reminded her. “Why are you keeping me prisoner in this place?”

She tried not to groan out loud. He really could be exhausting at times.

“Because like it or not, your powers are unreliable, especially when you’re worked up. Remember when I asked to go back to the park, and we ended up on the highway median? Or how I asked for an apple and you conjured up over a thousand of them?”

His scowl deepened.

“My powers have been damaged for centuries,” he reminded her. “And we won’t get any closer to finding the gemstone until we can see that museum exhibit!”

He stumbled a bit over the last two words, and a good deal of her anger died away when she saw the anguish flash in his eyes, as well as he hid it behind that angry mask. She sighed again, moved in close and let her forehead thump against his chest.

“I’m sorry this is taking so long, Light,” she didn’t meet his gaze. “But there’s nothing we can do until the city’s been cleaned up, and there’s no telling how long that will take.”

She draped her arms around his neck, then felt his at her waist.

“I know,” he said eventually, his voice gently vibrating through her. “And I shouldn’t take this out on you, I just can’t shake the feeling that we’re so close to uncovering everything!”

She did look up at him then, saw the worry he always carried with him. This had to be eating him up.

“How about we put this away for the night,” she suggested. “I can make a big bowl of popcorn for us and we can watch a movie. How does that sound?”

It had become a common activity for them, though he often spent more time flitting around the room than paying attention. He pouted playfully.

“Fine, but _I’m_ going to choose what we watch this time,” he said. “I’m sick of your sappy love stories.”

She snorted, unable to hold back her laughter. Half the reason she’d kept picking them was just to see his reaction.

“Okay, you decide while I go make the popcorn, just don’t try to use the player yourself this time!”

She cracked up again when he looked thoroughly offended; he’d nearly broken it the first time he’d tried to figure it out on his own, and she wasn’t about to let him forget it.

* * *

She came back to find _Phantom of the Opera_ waiting on her bed. Light was hovering above the desk with his back to her, a book in his hands, though she couldn’t tell which one. Gina set the loaded popcorn bowl on the nightstand and went to her closet to change into her pajamas; she hadn’t realized how late it was until she had seen the clock on the stove. She told herself it was the heat that made her pick the short, spaghetti-strapped red nightie, that it had nothing to do with wanting to catch a certain genie’s attention with the sweetheart neckline. Never mind that it was the first time she had worn it since buying it on impulse over a year ago.

Light was standing in front of her mirror when she came out, toying with the beads that bound his hair. Her mouth went dry when she realized he wore only a pair of capri sweats, her heart stopping when she saw the wicked scar low on his stomach. His eyes flicked up at her gasp, his jaw going slack as his arms flopped to his sides.

“Gina…”

He turned slowly, still gaping at her. Her face flared as his gaze swept over her, as she found herself unable to look away from him. Every inch of his tanned body was a lean, well-defined muscle, marred here and there with scars of varying size. She wondered what on Earth could have caused them, and why he had never thought to heal them.

“Light…”

She didn’t know which of them moved first, only that she was suddenly in his arms again, lost in the bright, torrid ocean of his eyes. His touch tingled across her, his nose all but brushing hers. She ran her hands slowly down his chest, his grip tightening as he shivered in pleasure. He stopped her exploring when she reached the scar, an automatic reaction he didn’t seem to understand, from the look on his face as he did so.

“You don’t remember anything about that, do you,” she asked, her gaze drifting between it and the hand that gripped hers. There was a soft rustle, the clink of beads as he shook his head.

“Nothing except the shock when I saw it after my little…mishap,” he didn’t even smirk at the memory. “A feeling of grief and fear came over me so suddenly that I almost collapsed.”

He leaned into her touch when she cupped his cheek.

“Why didn’t you say anything before?”

He shrugged.

“I guess I didn’t want to worry you, and I didn’t think I could face the questions you’d have about it.”

She peeked at it again, then looked back at him through her lashes.

“We don’t have to talk about it,” she told him. “But you know it’ll come back to you with everything else when we find that gem, right? Are you sure you want to remember something like that?”

He didn’t hesitate before nodding.

“I don’t care how good or bad it might all be, it’s still my past. I have to know what mistakes I might have made so I don’t repeat them,” he continued. “And I want to forget the feeling of my memories slipping away, knowing there wasn’t anything I could do about it.”

His eyes were piercing then, a blue fire that burned straight to her core. He hugged her, nearly crushing her.

“I don’t want to risk losing you, either, Gina,” he said, his breath caressing her ear. “I’m terrified I won’t be able to protect you with my powers damaged like this, I can’t bear the thought of seeing you hurt.”

He pulled away, his gaze now locked on her lips. She realized her tongue had gone dry, and she swallowed, her breath shaking as he leaned closer; she wondered if he were drawing it out on purpose, or if he was as nervous as she was.

“Light, I…”


	9. Chapter 9

“Gina?”

A firm, polite knock at the door.

“Gina, it’s Kahir, can we talk?”

Gina floundered for a response, the moment that had built between her and Light throughly smashed. He moved away from her and rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks dusted pink.

“You’d better talk to him,” he said. “I’ll wait in the lamp.”

He gave a warm smile and flew to the cabinet, melting into smoke that soon disappeared behind the row of books. She hurried to her closet and grabbed one of her regular nightshirts, tugging it over her head as she went to let in her brother. Kahir stood awkwardly in the hall, hands stuffed in the pockets of his pale gray sweats. He brushed his bangs aside, his posture stiff when he finally walked into her room. She closed the door and rested her forehead against it, trying to force back images from the last few minutes. The first time Kahir had come to her willingly in nearly three weeks, and all she could think about were Light’s eyes and the strength of his hands.

“I know you keep telling me I shouldn’t feel guilty,” Kahir’s voice pulled her back to reality. “And that those guys probably would have killed me if I’d tried to stop them. That’s exactly what’s driving me crazy, though, the fact I didn’t have a chance to protect you. I didn’t even realize you were gone until I went back outside and saw the mess on the ground.”

He pulled out her desk chair and dropped heavily into it, groaning as he ran his hands over his face.

“I’ve been doing my best to try and work through all that,” he went on. “But it took me this long to realize avoiding you was just making it worse.”

He sighed heavily, and his shoulders slumped.

“I’m so sorry for treating you like that, especially after everything you’ve just been through. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

She frowned.

“And I’m sorry for being so pushy about everything,” she answered, toying with her fingers. “I was so relieved to be home that I didn’t realize how difficult things must have been for you all this time. I should have just let you come to me when you were ready.”

He smiled a bit. His eyes were a pale grayish-blue, a recessive trait passed down through their mother’s side of the family. They also showed every emotion plainly, no matter how blank he kept the rest of his face. They were filled with fear, exhaustion. She bent down and hugged him, surprised when he pulled her onto his lap. He hadn’t done that since she was nine. She hesitated, then laid her head on his shoulder, her mind going back to all the times she’d had nightmares as a little girl, how he had always comforted her just like this.

“I know you’re not a baby anymore, Gina,” he said quietly after a while. “But I’ll never stop seeing you as the kid with scraped knees who needed help tying her shoes. You’re my little sister and I’ll always want to protect you.”

She smiled wistfully.

“I know, Kahir, and I’ve been trying to be more careful ever since I got back. I’ve even kept in sight of the bodyguards Uncle Sinbad assigned to me.”

He chuckled, then his mirth faded.

“There is one thing I’ve been wondering about, ever since Aunt Samar called and told us where you were. How did you escape?”

She went stiff, and her eyes flicked toward the cabinet.

“A friend helped me,” she could say that much. “He managed to pick the locks on our room one night and we were able to sneak past the guards. We hid on a truck that was heading to the city for supplies, then we were able to make our way here.”

She let out a breath, hoping she’d be able to convince Light to go along with the lie.

“Uncle Sinbad and Aunt Samar haven’t met him yet,” she continued. “He was too scared to get near the embassy, and he kind of disappeared on me when Uncle Sinbad found us on the way there.”

She had a feeling he’d be annoyed at being thought a coward, but she couldn’t think of any other way to explain how no one in the family would recognize him.

“I ran into him in the park when you guys were on your way back,” she finished. “I told him where I was staying and gave him my phone number. There’s something else, too…”

She bit her lip, toying with her fingers as Kahir stared at her in confusion. Had any of her story sounded believable to him?

“I kind of told him he could come to your birthday party next month, if you still want to have it, that is.”

He looked at her again, then sighed.

“I doubt I’ll be in the mood for it, but you know how Mom and Dad are about parties,” he groaned. “Aunt Samar and Uncle Sinbad are even worse.”

She giggled. Neither of them had ever been a fan of large gatherings, but being related to a delegate, they hadn’t had a choice but to get used to attending them.

“But I’d love to meet the guy who saved my sister,” he went on. “And I know everyone else would, too. It’ll be nice not to be the center of attention for a bit.”

They laughed.

“I’ll let him know, then,” she said, then winced. “I just hope Mom doesn’t start telling those stories again.”

She shuddered. At every event they were part of, their mother would tell the most embarrassing memories from their childhoods, no matter how many times they had begged her to stop. It was as though she saw it as some kind of tradition.

“If she does, we’ll just take that friend of yours to the roof garden, at least then we won’t have to hear them.”

She nodded.

“Sounds like a plan.”

* * *

She and Kahir had ended up talking late into the night. She’d barely been awake when he’d finally stood up, cradling her in his arms like a little girl. He’d laid her in bed and pulled the thinner blanket over her, setting the DVD on the nightstand so it wouldn’t get knocked to the floor. Light had watched it all from his perch on top of the cabinet, having cast an invisibility spell to keep Gina from seeing him. She certainly wouldn’t have approved of his blatant eavesdropping.

She was sleeping peacefully now, her dark hair spread across the pillow, the covers outlining her curves. She really was beautiful, both inside and out, and he couldn’t believe he’d been lucky enough to be summoned by her. He had also been relieved to see her brother open up to her, a wound that had been left festering for too long already, he thought. He understood things like fear and regret all too well, knew the damage they could cause when they weren’t dealt with up front.

He flew over and stood beside the bed, a gentle smile on his face as he looked down at her. It was the most peaceful he had ever seen her, and he hoped to grant her wish as soon as possible, even if it meant pushing himself to the limit because he couldn’t wait for them to find the jewel. He brushed the hair from her cheek, leaned down and kissed her temple, lingering for a brief moment as he savored the feel of her skin against his.

“Sweet dreams, Gina,” he whispered, so quietly he could barely hear himself. “I’ll bring those men to justice, I promise.”

He stepped back and retreated to the lamp; he was going to need every ounce of his magic to pull this off. Even if he had no idea just how he was going to do that.


	10. Chapter 10

Light left at dawn, after taking a peek into Gina’s slumbering brain to sharpen the mental images he had of that accursed place from when they had met. He’d kissed her temple again, feeling rage in his veins as he focused on those copied memories, teleporting as close as he dared with a snap of his fingers. He wasn’t about to enter such a hellhole without his magic to protect himself, as unpredictable as it might be now. He took cover in the sweeping shadow of a towering sand dune, focusing on the hot, grainy wind that blew across his face, and soon felt himself fall into that familiar meditative state. It was risky to leave himself exposed while doing so, but it was also the quickest way to recover his magic, and he had no time to lose.

He came out of it to feel his skin burning, the sun at its highest point. He winced as he got to his feet, that pins and needles sensation he had grown to despise flooding his legs; he briefly wondered if that was what Gina felt when he touched her in this state. He had just started thinking about where to go from here when he heard an engine roaring, peeked around the dune to see a trail of dust, whipped into a funnel by the wind. It was one of the black vans from Gina’s memories, likely headed back to their base after picking up supplies.

Another snap, and he was lodged in the back between packs of water bottles and oatmeal—there were even crates of fruit tucked behind it all, a staple for the guards that their captives never saw. Light did his best to make himself comfortable, even felt himself start to doze as the trip dragged on. Just how far out into the desert was this place? He was jolted awake when the van stopped short, fumbling to cast an invisibility spell as the engine cut off and the doors banged open. Two men’s voices, locked in a heated argument. He was surprised to find he could understand them, given they weren’t speaking anything like the English Gina had imbued him with.

Their words were inconsequential, something to do with animals or a game. Light pressed himself to the roof of the van, watching as they unloaded everything, carrying it all into what could only be described as a fortress from a desert fairytale. Ancient brick, mortar and stone mixed imperfectly with modern repairs. He flew after them when they completed the task, keeping well out of reach as he explored the halls.

They were narrow, lit just enough to see the cracks in the walls and floors, the doors along them leading either to rooms that wouldn’t be out of place in the dignitary’s manor, or to cramped, tiny cells. Each of those cells had a single occupant, a thin girl or boy dressed in filthy rags, forced to sleep on a threadbare pallet filled with broken straw. Forget waiting to find the gemstone, he decided. This would require no such power. All he would need was time and a little bit of luck.

* * *

He found an empty cell before too much longer, an unused pallet tucked into the corner, waiting for its prisoner. Sitting down with his back against the wall, he started to think, trying to find the best way to stop these men.

“The key’s gone,” a voice complained in the hall. It wasn’t one of the men who had been in the van. “And so is the bitch who was wearing it. There’s no point in looking anymore.”

Another voice scoffed. Just how many of these tormentors were there?

“How do you even know she was the one wearing it? It could have been any of these brats!”

Light’s fist clenched when he heard the first man laugh, a cocky, lustful sound that set his teeth on edge.

“Oh, trust me, I remember every time I put it on her,” the man said. “She was the only one with a firm, perky ass like that!”

Another laugh. Light wanted nothing more than to kick down the door, grab that son of a bitch by the collar and beat some manners into him, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it unless he assumed human form. Keeping up such a spell sapped his strength just as much as his magic; he’d be rendered unconscious before he’d brought down even three of them. It would also just waste time better spent on gathering the evidence he would need, according to what Gina had explained to him about modern law systems.

 _I should have waited until she was awake,_ he berated himself. _I could have just used that camera thing she showed me to document everything, and now she’s going to worry when she can’t find me._

He had left a note, but just because he could speak the language of whoever rubbed the lamp didn’t mean he became a master at writing it overnight. The scrawls had barely been legible to him, so how was she supposed to make any sense of them? She’d worry about him whether she knew where he was or not, but now she was sure to be furious with him when he returned. Just the thought of that frightened him to the core.

 _I should be able to find a camera somewhere around here,_ he tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. They couldn’t be that different with how they worked, right? Right.

 _It’s settled then,_ he decided. He’d wait until they went out for their search at nightfall, then he’d scour the place for anything he could use against them.

 _I just hope Gina forgives me for doing this to her,_ he stared down at his shoes. He supposed that, for once, it was a blessing no one could see or hear him in this form until they rubbed the lamp themselves. It meant he was in no danger of being caught, or worse, killed, if the stories she had shared with him were accurate, and he had no reason to doubt that they were. He could rest undisturbed in this room during the day, then explore every nook and cranny in the night, until he had enough.

 _She’ll understand in the end,_ he told himself. _I know she will._

* * *

Light woke up with a start, wondering when he had fallen asleep as he listened to the sounds in the hall. Doors were being opened, the prisoners forced out with rough, angry shouts. He couldn’t hear much beyond that and the stomp of heavy boots, the occasional frightened gasp or whimper. He snapped his fingers, keeping his back pressed to the ceiling in the hall as he followed the growing crowd. Gina had told him that magic was seen as fake now, but he wasn’t about to take the chance of somebody sensing his presence. There was no telling how many of these people might be descendants of the magicians from his time, and getting caught would ruin everything.

The cafeteria was just as it had looked in her memories—dirty walls, buzzing lights that flickered, a floor of cracked tiles covered in the scuff marks of a hundred pairs of unwashed feet. He hoped he’d be able to find his way back to that empty room come dawn; all the plain, narrow hallways, lined with scratched and rusted doors, looked exactly the same in this place. He hated how his stomach rumbled when he saw the simple fare, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten since Gina had shared a late lunch with him. He’d have to resort to stealing if he wanted to eat during this, he couldn’t waste power on something so trivial.

“The boss told you why we’re doing all this yet?”

The words were muffled by the half mask covering the man’s face from the nose down, decorated in white with a skull’s grin. Light hovered closer, keeping well above their heads. The man beside him, taller and leaner with a plain red mask, shrugged nonchalantly.

“You know he’ll never give us the whole story,” he said, his voice graveled like an old smoker’s. “We can’t turn on him if we get caught.”

Skull face groaned.

“Then how the hell are we supposed to know what we’re looking for,” he demanded. “Especially now that we don’t have that key?”

Red shrugged again.

“We’ll get that bitch sooner or later. We can rip it off her and bury her in the sand,” he continued. “They’ll never find her out here.”

Light fought down the anger that coiled inside him, packing it away to use later. Such emotions were perfect for charging bursts of magic. He moved to another pair of guards, but their conversation was useless, just complaints about some kind of alcohol being in short supply.

 _That might come in handy,_ he thought. It wouldn’t take much to conjure some up, and he could even add a special charm that would render them unconscious for a good while. Enough time for the authorities to arrive once he had what he needed. _First things first, though, I need that camera._

Trying his best to ignore his sore stomach, he left the cafeteria, determined to find one before they returned at dawn. The rest of this place was exactly as he had imagined it—plain but comfortable quarters for the guards that were no doubt kept clean by their captives, a large room under lock and key that he was sure was used for planning their forays into the desert. The most interesting find was a collection of weapons kept in plain sight, odd in this time of cannons that could fit in one’s hand.

The guards had worn scimitars on one hip with a dagger holstered to their chest, methods of harm and killing that made much less noise, but were just as effective. His own short sword felt oddly heavy against his thigh, and he wondered if he had ever used it in the past. Had he always been a genie, or had he been cursed with eternal servitude in the lamp for some sort of sin?

_Was I really such a bad person?_

No, he couldn’t have been. He was sure Gina would have sensed such a thing, and would have never come to care for him as she had. He just hoped he hadn’t utterly destroyed her trust in him with this escapade, just the thought of it was enough to crush his chest like a vice. She would understand, she had to.

He came to another closed door, this time unlocked. It seemed to be a supply closet, but filled with electronics. The collection was deep in the guards’ side of the building, their captives would never get close enough to steal from it.

He was shocked to find a shelf of cameras, still packed and sealed in their boxes, and he didn’t want to think about what they might be used for. He grabbed one from the back row, feeling somewhat foolish as he checked what kind of batteries it would need; Gina had explained that most things ran on them now, and that there were many different types. Would he ever get used to living in this world?

 _There’s no going back to the past,_ he reminded himself. _And there’s no point._

He wouldn’t recognize anybody he would have known, and Gina wouldn’t be there. The last thing he wanted was to be without her.

 _You won’t have to use your wish for this,_ he promised her silently. He clutched the camera and pack of batteries tightly as he kicked the door shut. _You’ll get to experience the happiness you deserve._


	11. Chapter 11

Light had been gone for nearly three days. Gina had lost track of how long she’d sat at her desk or on her bed, staring blankly at the poor attempt at a note he had left for her. His handwriting looked like it was supposed to be elegant, but that he had little idea how to actually form the letters he was using. It had taken her most of that first day just to make any kind of sense of it.

_‘I’m going to investigate the place you were being held in, I won’t make you wait to see those men arrested. I don’t know how long it will take to get all the proof I need, so use the time to think of a new wish. I’ll come back as soon as I can. -Light’_

She slapped the note on the desk, then buried her face in her arms. Why hadn’t he at least waited until she’d woken up to leave? Had he thought she wouldn’t let him go, or that she’d beg to go with him?

 _I’m never going near that godforsaken place again,_ she thought angrily, pressing her face as hard as she could against the painted wood. _But he could have at least let me say good-bye!_

She also wanted to apologize for letting Kahir take over their movie night, though she was sure Light had understood that her brother finally opening up to her had been more important. He was so caring and considerate under his arrogance and snark, and she wished she could do more to help him. Any lead she came across for the gem was tentative at best, and they went dead cold more often than not. The few that had ended up leading somewhere had also left her with more questions than answers, to the point she’d had to buy a new notebook just to keep track of them all.

Where had the lamp itself actually come from, and why was so much of its power tied to that gemstone? Who had created it, why had they done so? How had magic slipped through the cracks of history so completely that most people didn’t even believe in it now?

Those and so many more flew through her head on loop even after writing them down, and compounded by her new, constant worry about Light, it was a wonder she’d been able to sleep at all the last few days. Kahir had only come by once since their talk to check on her, all but throwing her over his shoulder when she’d revealed how long it had been since she’d eaten.

She had lived on little more than cheese, crackers and ham, and she couldn’t even remember if she had left her room since Kahir had dragged her to the kitchen. One or another of her aunt and uncle’s servants would come with a tray in the morning, leaving it on the small table by her door, then take it back to the kitchen at sundown. Any concerns her family voiced were met with the lie of just feeling sick.

Gina pushed back from the desk and swiped at her cheeks, the salt from her tears burning across her scabbed lips. It did feel a little silly to be so worried about somebody who couldn’t truly be killed, but the fear twisting in her gut simply refused to abate. She took the lamp from the cabinet and locked herself in her bathroom, sitting on the plush pink mat with her back against the vanity. The warming bulb in the ceiling bathed everything in a reddish glow, the reflection warped along the curved side of the lamp. She set it down, gripped the amulet tightly and quietly recited the spell, the vice around her chest easing somewhat when she appeared in the sumptuous gilded chamber.

The gentle, eternal flicker of the sconces, the piles of silk pillows, the satin draperies hung on the walls. The rug felt softer than clouds beneath her bare feet, and she heard herself breathe a loud sigh of relief. She always felt so warm and calm in there, though even it hadn’t helped much with clearing her head since Light left.

 _He’ll be back soon,_ she told herself. _He hasn’t lied to you yet, so why would he start now?_

She went to his usual spot and laid down, absently tracing the elaborate patterns on the ceiling, done up in tiny glazed tiles in many colors. She briefly wondered, would the space become even more luxurious once the lamp was complete? Why had the jewel and amulet been separated from it in the first place, and by whom? Was it just the missing gem that had caused Light’s powers and memory to fade, or did both hold fractions of them?

She groaned, letting her hand drop. All she was accomplishing right now was giving herself a headache.

_Maybe a nap will help me feel better…_

She shifted to a more comfortable position, then turned on her side, facing the wall. She didn’t want to be so blatantly reminded of just how empty it felt without him. Light was going to have to work for it if he wanted her to forgive him for putting her through this.

* * *

Gina awoke to a strange weight beside her, opened her eyes to see she was back in her own bed. Light was reclining against the headboard beside her, staring off into the distance with his arms behind his head. He was dressed in his usual garb, his legs crossed, though his shoes and sword belt were missing. He seemed almost in a trance as she folded back the covers on her side, not reacting until she laid a hand lightly on his shoulder. He blinked, his face a mask of mild surprise as he focused on her—she would have cried out when he suddenly grabbed her, had her face not been quickly buried in the shawl draped over his chest.

He hugged her tightly, his nose buried in her hair, his heart pounding against her cheek. She clung to him, doing her best to swallow the questions currently burning holes in her tongue; she didn’t care about getting answers right now, just relieved that he was all right. His next move was a surprise, his grip firm on her chin as he tilted back her head. He didn’t say anything, just stared at her with those impossibly blue eyes, sending shocks straight down her spine.

She had hardly begun to whisper his name when he leaned forward, capturing her lips with his. The kiss was anything but gentle, needy and feverish, his tongue all but forcing her jaws apart. She groaned, tugging at his shawl in a fruitless attempt to remove it, only breaking the kiss when he suddenly flipped them, pushing her down into the mattress. His gaze was hot and wild, his breathing deep and controlled. After a long moment, he snapped his fingers, and she felt like every drop of blood in her veins had rushed right to her blazing cheeks.

Moonlight flooded the room, highlighting him in silver, his face still utterly calm even as his gaze roiled with passion. He kissed her again in that savage way, then grabbed the hem of her nightgown and yanked it over her head, tossing it carelessly aside. She finally found the knot that fastened his shawl, and with some effort, untied it. The fine silk fell from his shoulders, uncovering the scars on his arm; she traced them with her nails, making him shiver. He snapped his fingers again, and the rest of his clothing disappeared, every inch of him now on tantalizing display.

His rough fingers were feather light as he traced her curves, cupping her hips like she were molded from glass. She loved how his hard, sinewy muscles pressed against her, his breath caressing her neck and rustling through the tangle of curls tossed across her pillow. She wrapped her arms around his chest, her fingers digging into his back as he started that most precious of dances with her, every careful movement sending sparks through her veins.

She moaned his name, her back arching in pleasure, and the smallest of smiles bloomed on his lips, even as the rest of his face remained perfectly impassive. His hands slipped beneath her, she gasped as she was pulled up, held firmly to his chest as her hips kept up the rhythm he had set. Her own name whispered across her ear, then he kissed her, his first truly tender motion of the night.

It ended all too soon. Before she could realize it, he was lying beside her again, only now he was under the covers with her, their bodies still intimately pressed together. His arm was around her, his lips once again in her hair, his breath still perfectly even.

“We could do this forever,” he spoke softly, his first real words since his return. She could only nod, nuzzling into his shoulder, wanting to be as close to him as possible. His grip on her tightened, his body tense as he yanked her away. His eyes were furious now, the rest of his expression blank as a doll’s. “Too bad it’s all just a lie!”

A different fire tore through her now, pain spilling into her soul as she stared at him, helpless to stop it. She tried to speak, only to feel her mouth had been sealed, her throat filled with coals. Tears like shards of glass filled her eyes, and she was sure she smelled the salty iron of blood as the sight before her blurred beyond all recognition.

_Light, help me!_

* * *

It felt like her first breath after a long dive. Gina shot upright, her heart pounding fast in her throat, nearly choking her. She stared around her in terrified wonder, seeing only the gilded walls of the lamp, softly lit as always by the flames that never went cold. She’d tumbled to the floor, pillows scattered around and beneath her, her nightgown tacky with half-dried sweat. Had that been a nightmare, or worse, some kind of premonition? She’d had them before, though not all of them had proven true in the end.

 _It was just a weird dream,_ she tried to tell herself, even as images continued to flash through her mind. Her face felt like it would never cool, and she was endlessly relieved a certain genie wasn’t there to sneak a peek, even if unintentionally.

She got to her feet and cleaned up the pillows, endlessly worrying her lower lip with her teeth. How much longer would Light be gone, she wondered, desperate to focus on anything else. She exited the lamp and went straight to her bathroom, hoping a long, hot shower would be just what she needed to relax.

 _I’ll talk to Kahir after this,_ she decided, watching as the mirror began to fog up. An afternoon with her brother would be just what she needed to get her mind off of all this, she was sure.

_Light will be back soon, I just have to wait until then._

She hoped dearly that she could.


	12. Chapter 12

It was hard to believe a week had already passed. Light had decided to fill the camera’s memory before he went back, though he could only hope that would actually be enough. He laid on the pallet in his stolen room, too exhausted even to float after that night’s escapades. He’d hitched a ride on one of the vans that headed into the desert and snapped as many pictures as he could of them, the men and their captives, whom he was sure still had no clue what they were supposed to be searching for. He’d also taken some larger risks, getting as close as he dared to the guards and recording snippets of their conversations, praying Gina was right about people knowing nothing of real magic in this time.

Of course, the technology of this era was pretty much all magic to him. Vehicles that could cover vast distances in hours or days as opposed to weeks or months, telephones that allowed one to speak to people across the world from the comfort of their home. Devices that could take portraits before an artist wet their brush, and even capture motion and sound. She had expressed surprise at how quickly he had gotten the hang of some things, his response being that it had always been his nature.

He was sure of that much, and that he must have been one of stature, given his attire—dyed lotus silk with skilled embroidery in gold thread, according to Gina. The bracers on his arms that felt like a second skin were also of gold, inlaid with bright blue jewels and lined with slightly coarser traditional silk, woven in a stylized pattern of water lily petals. He set the camera aside and got to his feet, his knees lightly shaking, carefully drawing the short sword from the elaborate scabbard at his hip.

The sound as he did so, metal scraping softly against metal, was oddly satisfying, and the weight of the hilt in his palm was familiar, comforting even. Steel glinted coldly in the moonlight streaming through a small hole high in the wall, a stone that had long since been dislodged, the lightly curved blade sharpened to deadly perfection. Looking closer, he saw there were scars along it, scratches that could only be seen when light hit them just so. Had he been the one to fight with it, or had it just been a gift from a long dead master? What, who could he have been before Gina had unwittingly summoned him?

_Gina…_

His stomach clenched with guilt at the thought of her face, tears flowing down her cheeks at the realization of what he had done. It had been painful to leave her as he had, but he knew he never would have gone if he had seen her that way. His only priority then would have been to assuage her fears, whispering that he would never cast her away, assuring he wouldn’t leave her side unless she wished it so.

He just couldn’t stand the thought of her using her reward on such a matter, a desire he was sure he could grant without the power of the gemstone. He also didn’t want anyone else who was trapped in that place to wait longer for release than they had to. All he needed was a little more time.

* * *

Light stared blankly at the scraps of food in front of him, leftovers he had swiped from the kitchens. It hadn’t surprised him at all to find out the kidnappers were eating well, that there was little care put into what they fed their captives. It would have been so easy to steal the meat and vegetables, or even from the main shares of potatoes and cornbread, but he knew such things would be kept under strict control. Even a crumb or drop over what should be missing would be noticed, and those already suffering would be the ones to pay the price.

He’d been surprised to find how used he was to feeling unsatisfied with meals, and he wondered if he had lived in such harsh conditions before. He picked up the bottle, filled with the remnants of so many others, absently swirling the water around. The faint sloshing caused a small ache in his chest, just another of the mysteries surrounding his past. He’d be lying if he told himself that Gina’s ease of mind was the only reason he had sent himself on this mission. He hoped it would speed up their search for the lamp’s gem, as they would no longer have to keep watch for dark figures that might be lurking in the shadows, waiting to steal them away back to the desert.

He didn’t see it as being selfish, since it meant she’d be able to earn her wish sooner, and use it for something other than merely getting criminals arrested. It was only a question of what she would wish for instead. She was content with her family’s wealth and status, she had told him that herself, and had no interest in gaining a role of power. She seemed wise enough for her age, and she had beauty to spare.

A different ache filled him at the thought, a longing that left him nearly ill. He remembered the night she had come to him dressed only in that satin slip, how her trim, slender body had fit so perfectly against him, how amazing it had felt just to put his arms around her. He’d been so angry at her brother for interrupting them, but it had faded quickly once he had seen the relief on her face.

He had dreamt of that encounter every night since, and while it had gone many different ways, he could never bring himself to kiss her in them. There was a fear that paralyzed him, as though he knew somehow that doing so would only invite danger. Was it some sort of premonition, or just his mind playing tricks on him?

 _Either way, I won’t let it control me forever._ He set the bottle down and laid back, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling until he saw double. _I’m no coward._

Sighing heavily, he turned on his side and clenched his eyes shut. It was a conscious effort to keep his mind clear, but soon enough he slipped into that meditative state, and he knew sleep wouldn’t be long to follow. Of course, whether he would actually feel rested in the morning was anyone’s guess.

* * *

It had taken longer than he’d thought, but Light had finally managed to fill the camera’s memory. For a brief second, he considered grabbing a second one, knowing more evidence would only help their case, but he tossed the idea aside like it burned. He had already gathered proof of every activity that happened at the compound, and he was sure he’d be able to find its location on a map should he need to. The sun rose almost directly behind it, meaning it was due east, and he had heard more than one of the men complain about being a four hours’ drive from the nearest sign of modern civilization.

_That’s all the information I need._

He tucked the device securely away, then flew down and spread himself out on the pallet. It was almost noon, the place all but silent. Last night had brought on the most extensive search he had seen since his arrival, the captives being sent off in pairs, not allowed to return until the first rays of dawn had peeked over the dunes. The imposing gate had barely closed behind the last van when a massive sandstorm had blown up, sending everyone scurrying inside. Light had carefully dragged his pallet across the room, blocking the hole in the wall as best he could with the scraps of stone scattered across the floor.

He hadn’t felt so exhausted since transporting himself and Gina to her city, and he hoped he wouldn’t be confined to the lamp for too long once he returned. They’d need to concoct a story of how he had gotten his proof, and how he had managed to get away from a group nobody had ever escaped from. Or at least they hadn’t kept themselves alive long enough to make it out of the deep desert. He didn’t want to know just how many sets of bones had been added to the sand’s collection, and how many would never be found.

He groaned and shook his head.

 _Don’t think about it,_ he admonished himself. There was no point in worrying about those who were already gone, not when there were so many still suffering. _Just try and get some sleep, you’ll need your magic tonight._

He wasn’t sure when he had decided to fly back to the city, rather than teleport himself, but he knew it would give him a better understanding of the distance. It would have to be as precise as possible if he wanted the best chance to make these men pay.

Of course, it also meant further delaying his reunion with Gina, but if this made even the slightest difference in the official investigation, then it would be worth it. He wondered what her reaction would be when he finally returned—anger, certainly, but would she have worried over him as he had for her? Would her relief at seeing him alive again be because of her promised wish, or because she had genuinely feared for his safety? As much as her wrath frightened him, he found himself longing to find out.

“I’ll be back soon, Gina,” he whispered, feeling warmth in his cheeks as a smile touched his lips. “Then I’ll _never_ leave your side again, I swear it.”

That thought in his mind, he turned his back to the sand trickling in through the gaps in the blocked hole, listening to the wind howl like a savage beast.


	13. Chapter 13

Gina scratched absently at the page with her pencil, the image before her shifting as she let her vision go in and out of focus. It had been eight days since Light had left, and the last few she’d tried and failed to distract herself by sketching costume designs for her next performance. Her mother had grown up dancing, and had taught Gina everything she knew, making time for their lessons no matter how busy she might be with other things.

This one would retell her favorite story as a child, the marriage of the fabled Lotus Queen to a human prince, securing peace between the worlds of mortals and magic. Uncle Sinbad had requested it for an upcoming party to welcome foreign dignitaries, and had even hired dancers for the other roles. She wondered if Kahir would agree to play his beni like when they were kids, she’d always danced her best when they performed together.

 _He hasn’t had any time to practice, though,_ she reminded herself. He’d admitted to studying even more than usual so he wouldn’t have to think about her kidnapping, and then he’d been working with their parents on cataloguing the artifacts that had been sent to the city’s largest museum. All from the very dig they had left after learning that she was safe.

She dropped her pencil on the page and pushed back from her desk, going to the window she had left unlocked every night since Light had left. It was a fairly narrow one in the corner of her room, too small for most people to fit through, but that wouldn’t stop him. It was the only one she’d felt safe leaving open, and she wondered if she’d ever truly feel safe again, even after those men were in prison.

“Ow!”

She jumped, nearly tripping on her own feet as she turned fast toward the balcony. Light was half-sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily, clutching something to his chest. She hurried over, unlocked the door and threw it open, her jaw dropping when she saw the state he was in. His skin was pale beneath a sunburn, his hair windswept and tangled, his clothing disheveled. There were dark circles under his eyes, now dull as a cloud-filled sky. Even with her help, he barely had the strength to drag himself to his feet.

He leaned heavily on her as they hobbled to the cabinet, and she was amazed she didn’t drop him when she reached for the amulet, gripping it tight and reciting the spell as fast as she could. Even the colors in the lamp seemed more dull than usual, the flames in the sconces smaller, the gold trimmings all but devoid of their luster. She helped him into the closest pile of cushions, propping him up and arranging him as comfortably as she could. Finally, she dragged over the biggest pillow she could find and sat down in front of him, gazing at him with expectant worry.

“Light, what happened to you?”

It was a long while before he replied, and she watched carefully as his breathing steadied, his hand never leaving the portion of his shawl bunched against his chest. He groaned as he slightly adjusted himself, his face almost contrite when he looked at her.

“I know you’re angry at me for leaving like I did,” he said. “But I didn’t want to wake you, and I didn’t think I could make myself leave if I did.”

He reached in his shawl and, to her shock, pulled out a brand new camera. He started reaching toward her, hesitated, then set it in his lap.

“I found the compound where you’d been held,” he explained, some of the usual color coming back to his face. “I…borrowed this from their stores to gather evidence, and I didn’t want to leave until the memory on it was full.”

He toyed with it a moment, running his thumb lightly over the lens. He sighed heavily, then his jaw tightened.

“They think you were buried alive on the night you wore the amulet,” he continued. “So now they’re searching for you _and_ the lamp. They haven’t realized you uncovered the tomb and summoned me.”

The rush of relief she felt at the words was short-lived.

“But there’s no telling how long that’ll last,” she said. “They’ll have to realize I’m not out there sooner or later.”

She looked at the camera still clenched in his hands, as though he were loath to let it go.

“I don’t know how we’re going to explain where this came from, I’ve been too worried about you to think about it.”

He winced, guilt flashing across his face.

“I spent every day thinking about you,” he admitted after a pause. “I didn’t expect leaving to hurt as much as it did.”

He gazed at her then, and any anger she might have felt melted away like ice in summer. She rose from the pillow, wavering only slightly before she sat down beside him. His arm was cooler than usual when he slipped it around her, his skin somewhat clammy when she pressed her face into his neck.

“I missed you so much, Light,” she whispered, her jaw hurting from holding back tears. She didn’t want him to see her cry. “Please don’t ever scare me like that again!”

His hold tightened, and he brushed some loose strands of hair from her face.

“I promise I won’t, Gina,” he answered softly, his breath caressing the crown of her head. “I promise I won’t.”

* * *

Light was still asleep when Gina woke up the next morning, still wrapped in his arms with her face buried in his chest. She took a moment just to admire him—the high, lean lines of his face, full lips that almost always wore a teasing smile, thick black lashes that made his eyes seem an even richer blue than they already were. She ran her fingers slowly through his hair, thick and soft as down, tracing the pad of her thumb over one set of the glass and wooden beads that bound it. She briefly wondered what he might look like without them, or if he could even remove them at all.

Her gaze drifted past the contours of his neck, the rich silk of his clothes, to the camera he had set at their feet the night before. How would she get the evidence to the police, and how would she keep them from asking questions she just couldn’t answer?

 _Maybe I could tell them it showed up on my balcony last tight,_ she thought. _Or that I found it in the garden with a letter explaining it all._

That seemed as good a plan as any, and she carefully pulled away from Light so as not to disturb him, she began to puzzle out exactly how she would do it. The city-wide cleanup after the storms was well under way by now, and she had one less thing to worry about when it came to getting snatched off the street. Being the niece of a dignitary always had some level of risk.

 _I’ll go to the library across town,_ she decided, gripping the camera tightly as she tip-toed to the large amulet on the wall. She took one last glance at Light before reciting the spell to leave, thinking she should find a new hiding place for the lamp soon. She couldn’t risk suddenly appearing out of nowhere should somebody enter her room looking for her.

That library was the largest in the city, the computers accessed by hundreds of people a day. A letter typed up on one of them could never be properly traced, she was sure. Still, though, she thought it best to disguise herself somehow, just in case.

_I hope I’m back before he wakes up…_

Her gaze lingered on the row of books that hid the lamp, part of her wanting nothing more than to go back inside it and lay down beside him, keeping put there until she knew he was all right.

 _He’ll be fine,_ she tried to assure herself. _Those men don’t even know that I found it yet, they think I’m a mummy in progress out in the desert._

The last thing she wanted was to leave him alone after last night, feeling at the very least like a massive hypocrite. He’d understand that something like this couldn’t wait, but that didn’t make it any easier. Sighing, she slipped into her closet to get dressed, trying to focus on what she would say in that letter, wanting to get back as quickly as possible.

The first outfit she picked was far outside her usual fare—close-fitting jeans, plain sneakers and a simple white T-shirt, all stuffed in a bag that could be turned inside out to show a different design. The last thing to go in was a straight black wig that fell to her waist, a gift from her cousin that was finally going to see some use. She’d change in a bathroom a few blocks from the library, get the letter taken care of, then switch clothes again in a different one. After that, she just had to go to the police and give her concocted story, then hand over it and the camera.

 _I was walking in the park and a guy gave them to me,_ she thought. _He left before I could get a real look at his face, but everything on the camera is true. It’s exactly what happened to me after I was abducted._

That was all she’d have to say, and it would bring them one step closer to getting that horrid operation shut down. She only hoped it would really be enough.

She tucked the camera in the bag, pulled it over her shoulder and strode out, stopping short when she saw Light in front of the mirror, looking himself over carefully. He was wearing his blue shirt with the hooded vest over it, unzipped, jeans and black sandals, every inch the model once again. His eyes flicked up, filled with annoyance when they met hers.

“Promises don’t do much good when they’re one-sided,” he said sternly. She gulped.

“I-I thought you’d still be asleep,” she stammered, silently hoping the floor would swallow her whole. “You looked so exhausted last night!”

He brushed something from his shoulder, then turned to face her.

“My magic only needs a night to recover after a flight like that,” he countered, as though she should have known such a thing. “I woke up as soon as I started hearing your plans.”

She gaped at him. He rolled his eyes.

“We share a mental link because you summoned me and entered an agreement with me,” he explained. “We can project thoughts to each other as easily as we can read one another’s mind, and your thoughts this morning have been quite intrusive.”

Her face burned, she didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or angry. She swallowed.

“I was worried when I saw the state you were in last night, I wanted you to get as much rest as possible,” her fingers twined around the straps of her bag. “And you gathered this evidence all by yourself, the least I could do was submit it to the police on my own.”

He looked at her, then sighed.

“I wasn’t entirely selfless in my motives for getting it,” he said. “The truth is that one of my reasons was so we could find the gemstone more quickly, seeing as we wouldn’t have the threat of those men hanging over us.”

He walked quickly toward her, his fingers tingling as he touched her cheek.

“I’ve been away from you for too long already,” he continued, surprising her. “I want to be by your side as much as I can.”

She looked up at him, saw the earnestness and worry in his eyes, felt it in his grip as he took her hand. After a moment, she nodded.

“If you’re really okay, then you can come, but I’m still wearing the amulet. Also,” she gripped his collar, tugging him down to her. “You _will_ tell me the second you start feeling tired, got it? I’m not going to let you exhaust yourself like that again!”

He chuckled, freeing himself with a gentle twist of her wrist.

“Loud and clear, Miss Fatih,” he said with a teasing smile. "Loud and clear!"


	14. Chapter 14

“Are you sure we can really trust that fat man?”

Light gazed quizzically at her. They were walking back to her uncle’s house from the station, her bodyguards close behind. Gina pouted back at him.

“Captain Abadi has the best detectives in the city working for him,” she said. “If anyone can use those pictures to their full potential, it’s him and his team.”

Light didn’t look convinced, but then he never had been impressed with the police. He thought they should have found those men a long time ago, given they were only a few hours’ drive from a large city and sent a hundred people fanning out into the desert each night. There was also the fact their hideout wasn’t exactly easy to miss.

“They have to worry about the entire city, Light, they can’t just dedicate all their resources to one case at a time!”

He scoffed, but kept quiet, his arms folded loosely at his chest. Gina figured he had every right to be a little upset, given how they had grilled them both at the station. Captain Abadi, being the detail-oriented man that he was, hadn’t been satisfied with Light’s cover story of being a recently escaped victim, the same one who had gotten her out of the place. He had demanded to know where Light had gotten the camera, how he had taken all those photos and videos without any of the guards seeing him.

Light had been surprisingly cool under the pressure, sticking to a story of being one of the first people kidnapped, as they had started with the city’s homeless population. He’d managed to pick the lock of their cell one day and had snuck to the guards’ side of the compound, coming across a closet filled with electronics, either brand new or likely stolen to hock. He’d taken the camera and batteries from there, wanting to document as much as he could for when he finally escaped. Gina had been part of his group the night he had filled the memory, and they had stumbled across a small cave while out searching for whatever the men had them looking for. They’d used it as cover during the sand storm that had whipped through the area, and almost hadn’t made it back to the vans before they left.

He’d shaken her awake late one morning, telling her it was time for them to go. There had only been one guard in the hallway then, and he’d reeked of weed, practically falling asleep as he’d slumped against the wall. They had gotten past him easily, and had overheard snippets of a meeting as they’d made their way to the vans. The rest of the gang had been deciding who’d go on that week’s supply run, as they couldn’t risk sending the same team too often.

He’d admitted that it had been pure luck that the van they’d picked to hide in had been the one driven to the city, but they hadn’t been about to let the opportunity pass them by. They’d been long gone by the time the guards had come back to load the new supplies, though they had managed to lose each other before her uncle came across her. The rest the police already knew.

“I never thought you’d be such an amazing liar,” she smiled impishly. “Though I feel like I should have expected it.”

Light gaped at her, then scowled playfully.

“How dare you,” he started theatrically. “I’ll have you know I’m a paragon of honesty!”

She couldn’t hold back her laughter. The smug look on his face then told her that was exactly what he’d been hoping for.

“I actually spent a lot of time ironing it out,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “Even if you didn’t allow me to come, I wanted to have something prepared in case you…”

He trailed off, looking guilty. She took his arm, laying her head on his shoulder.

“I tried my best not to think about what you were doing,” she told him. “Not that it worked too well. I mean, I knew you weren’t in any real danger, but still, I spent all week worrying about you on some level.”

He took his arm from her grip and draped it around her, kissing the top of her head.

“I was worried about you the whole time, too,” he started quietly. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how scared you had to be, and my last thought before I left that place was that I’d make sure you never felt like that again.”

They came to a decorative wall. Gina climbed up and walked along it like a balance beam, stepping up every time it rose another row. They were silent for a while, Light just watching her. He loved the look on her face when she focused, how her lips pursed and her brow wrinkled just slightly. She moved with complete grace and confidence, the growing breeze sending her hair trailing behind her. She was halfway along the top row when her step suddenly faltered, and she cried out as her foot rolled from beneath her, sending her tumbling off the wall.

* * *

“Gina!”

Light sprinted to catch her, their faces less than an inch apart when she landed in his arms. A pain she was all too familiar with flared along her leg, bringing tears to her eyes as it always did. He stared at her with open concern, then his gaze shifted to her feet, and his jaw dropped.

“Your ankle’s already swelling,” he began, then lowered his voice. “I’d try using magic to heal it, but with the state my powers are in, I’d rather not risk it. I might end up making it worse.”

He glanced over his shoulder at the bodyguards, and she couldn’t quite hold back a snicker at the shocked looks on their faces.

“People would start asking questions if I was suddenly okay, so I wouldn’t have let you try, anyway,” she bit her lip, holding in a groan. “Just set me on the bench by the wall, then I’ll call my parents. Someone will be able to come pick us up.”

He nodded, adjusting his grip slightly before heading to the wrought-iron bench she’d pointed out. He sat her down carefully, then knelt to examine the injury, undoing her sandal and pulling it off; it did provide a little relief, but she couldn’t stop the tears from slipping down her cheeks. His touch was gentle, his motions practiced, and she wished she could focus on how handsome he was when serious.

“I should at least wrap it before it gets any worse,” he said to himself, barely loud enough to hear. He reached in the pocket of his vest, then a few seconds later, pulled out a bandage roll. He winked at her, a half smile on his lips, then set about his work. Again, it was clear he had done such things many times before, tucking the end securely out of sight when he finished. He started getting up, then, when her face was just above his, he kissed her, and she wondered how her heart didn’t burst from her chest.

He traced the tip of his tongue over the seam of her lips, but pulled away before she could respond. His gaze was filled with embarrassed adoration as he straightened, never once looking away from her. She was only vaguely aware of one of the bodyguards talking on his phone, requesting a pick-up back to the mansion, along with a doctor.

Light’s face was red as hers as he sat down beside her, putting a hand on her waist in his usual move. She scooted closer and leaned against him, sighing happily as the pain in her leg began fading into the background. She watched the guard put his phone back in his pocket, then he and his partner leaned nonchalantly against the wall, pretending to shoot the breeze while casting a glance at every man that passed by. She shifted a bit, loving how perfectly she fit against him.

“Looks like you’ll be meeting my family sooner than we planned,” she looked at him through her lashes. “That’s not a problem, is it?”

He shook his head.

“I’ll just have to sleep in the lamp for the next few nights,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever maintained human form this long.”

He kissed her hair.

“But I can deal with being tired, if it means finally getting the credit I deserve for saving your life.”

She snorted a laugh, of course he’s bring that up.

“There’s no such thing as too much praise with you, is there?”

He chuckled, but then his face fell.

“I only had the power to save your life because you promised to help me find the gemstone,” he explained. “I do have a lot of free will after being summoned, but it still requires an agreement between me and the summoner. My magic won’t effect them without it.”

She stared at him.

“So we would have been trapped in there if I hadn’t said I’d help you? I would have died down there?”

He nodded gravely, and his shoulders slumped.

“All magic requires some kind of price, it’s to keep people from taking advantage of it. But like with any other system, it doesn’t always work.”

He shivered, though there was confusion behind the fear that flashed through his eyes. What did they risk uncovering by restoring his memories? Would they even be able to face it, whatever it turned out to be? She remembered how Light had questioned his past morality, the unease in his voice as he had spoken of it. Whoever he had been back then, would he revert to that once they found the gem? Would the boy she had come to care for so deeply simply cease to be?

A deep pain spread through her just at the thought, far worse than the muted, pulsing throb at her ankle. She pressed herself against him, feeling herself tremble as she buried her face in his shoulder, trying in vain to push away those unwanted thoughts. His arm tightened around her, and he tilted her chin back, his eyes dark and severe as they bored into hers.

“The man I was back then is long dead, Gina,” he said in a stern, quiet voice. “That whole time is a past life, and no matter what it turns out to be, I can promise that the Light you know isn’t going anywhere.”

He kissed her then, cradling the back of her head as she gripped hard on his vest, his heart beating firmly under her palm.

 _I’ll never leave you, Gina,_ he whispered in her mind. _I’d sooner break a taboo and banish myself to the ether._

Fire shot down her spine as the kiss deepened, and she draped her arms around his neck, his all but crushing her against his chest.

_I’ll never leave you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fell off our garage steps (there’s just two, thankfully) and have been in an ankle brace for weeks, so I am definitely feeling Gina’s pain right now.


End file.
